July 01, 2012

Our 2012 annual community conversation took a look at the concept of placemaking and the findings from the Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community project which reveal how attachment to place drives economic vitality – and how understanding those attachments can direct the ways in which a place chooses to change and grow.

This series features reflections from community members who attended the event. We hope their stories will inspire you to define your version of this community’s narrative and use it as a lens through which to view decisions that will impact the character of this community.

Name: Andrea D. CopelandAge: I am a brand new 40-year-old as of June 19City/County resident? I live in the city of CharlottesvilleOccupation: Director, Member Education Services with the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, www.cvillechamber.com; Owner with Positive Channels, www.positive-channels.com

How long have you lived in Charlottesville?I've lived in Charlottesville all of my life.

Why did you stay here?I have chosen (for now) to remain in my hometown because I have deep roots here. My family, friends, church, business, involvement and investment with community programs and the love of this community has kept me here this long. I am not averse to moving to another city or state. But until that time comes, I will be here.

What do you love most about where you live?There is so much that I love about living in Charlottesville. In fact, the older I get, the more I appreciate my hometown. It's aethetically pleasing, although some of this beauty came at a high cost to some communities; the citizens are civic-minded, they get involved; it's just the right size to stay connected to one another. I also love that I am able to take my skills, gifts and talents and serve the community where I grew up and was educated.

Any takeaways from the Placemaking event?It was interesting to learn about the 4 attachment drivers and to hear from those attending the luncheon speak about where they feel we are as a community as it relates to these drivers.

June 16, 2012

Our 2012 annual community conversation took a look at the concept of placemaking and the findings from the Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community project which reveal how attachment to place drives economic vitality – and how understanding those attachments can direct the ways in which a place chooses to change and grow.

This series features reflections from community members who attended the event. We hope their stories will inspire you to define your version of this community’s narrative and use it as a lens through which to view decisions that will impact the character of this community.

How long have you lived in Albemarle? I moved to Albemarle in 2004. Lived in California for two years and returned here in 2011.

Why did you come here?My mother spent part of her childhood in Charlottesville, and my parents retired here in 1996, so we were familiar with the area. When my husband was transferred to Virginia for work, we chose to live here because we felt it was a great place to raise our children.

What do you love most about where you live? I love the spectacular beauty of Charlottesville every day. Having lived in large cities for much of my life, I really enjoy the views of the mountains, the green fields, and the stately old trees in my neighborhood, just to the west of Charlottesville. And I love to hear the birds singing from those treetops!

There are so many things going on year-round in Charlottesville that are interesting, whether it’s the Festival of the Book, lectures, performances, concerts, or sporting events. It’s fun to stroll the mall and go ice-skating with the kids. We also share the community enthusiasm for local food, and we participate in a CSA. I feel very fortunate to be part of a community that sees value in preserving open and agricultural land in proximity to a lively urban center.

June 10, 2012

Our 2012 annual community conversation took a look at the concept of placemaking and the findings from the Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community project which reveal how attachment to place drives economic vitality – and how understanding those attachments can direct the ways in which a place chooses to change and grow.

This series features reflections from community members who attended the event. We hope their stories will inspire you to define your version of this community’s narrative and use it as a lens through which to view decisions that will impact the character of this community.

Why did you come here?I’m a ‘came to UVa and refused to leave’ resident.

What do you love most about where you live?So many things, but I think the driving force is that people who live here care about our community and making it great today and for future generations. I don’t agree with everyone but people care, do their homework, voice their opinion, give their time, talent, and treasure to build our community. I think this comes from our strong sense of place which is based in large part to our history and those who settled our area originally.

Any takeaways from the Placemaking event?I was inspired by the Placemaking event for many reasons. I was impressed to see the depth of the research that was presented in what makes a community great, and how those key ingredients are also tied to positive economic development. I was reassured of the importance of a community being open to a wide variety of people and viewpoints, and of the value of maintaining the natural beauty that surrounds us in greater Charlottesville. And I was honored that the work of our Senior Center in being a vital public place to enhance gatherings and community is valued by the concepts of Placemaking.

June 06, 2012

Our 2012 annual community conversation took a look at the concept of placemaking and the findings from the Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community project which reveal how attachment to place drives economic vitality – and how understanding those attachments can direct the ways in which a place chooses to change and grow.

This series features reflections from community members who attended the event. We hope their stories will inspire you to define your version of this community’s narrative and use it as a lens through which to view decisions that will impact the character of this community.

Name: Bill EmoryAge: 59

Photo courtesy of Andrew Shurtleff.

City/County resident? CityOccupation: Photographer

How long have you lived in Charlottesville?Thirty years in Charlottesville, 11 years in Albemarle: forty-one years total.

What do you love most about where you live? Today I love the mulberry trees that line the road and feed me when I walk my dog.

Any takeaways from the Placemaking event?“Let’s write a narrative!”

The Soul of the Community research says there are four top attachment drivers which connect a person to their place: aesthetics, openness, social offerings, and education. Of those four things, where are we most successful and where do we need more work?I happily cede discussion of openness, social offerings and education to those qualified and interested in speaking about such. I am interested in the fourth “attachment driver” that Soul of the Community chooses to call aesthetics; I would call it “landscape (natural environment) and architecture.”

If placemaking was central to our decision-making, what might this community do differently?We would be more thoughtful in our stewardship and use of green infrastructure, the aforementioned natural environment.

June 03, 2012

Our 2012 annual community conversation took a look at the concept of placemaking and the findings from the Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community project which reveal how attachment to place drives economic vitality – and how understanding those attachments can direct the ways in which a place chooses to change and grow.

This series features reflections from community members who attended the event. We hope their stories will inspire you to define your version of this community’s narrative and use it as a lens through which to view decisions that will impact the character of this community.

Name: Ruth Kastenmayer Age: 69City/County resident? CityOccupation: I am a retired college webmaster and instructor in Web Design and Development. I am currently a Web/WordPress volunteer for several Charlottesville schools and nonprofits, as well as a volunteer tutor/mentor for ESL students at Jackson-Via Elementary School.

How long have you lived in Charlottesville? My husband and I came to Charlottesville for a weekend in the summer of 2006 to celebrate our anniversary and left the city having signed a contract on a new home, much to the surprise of our family and friends! We got organized, downsized, and moved here in January 2007.

Why did you come here?We met here in the early sixties as graduate students at UVa so we were familiar with Charlottesville, but the impact of staying at a downtown motel and walking through the Grounds, exploring the Corner and then walking down West Main past the impressive UVa Health Center and on to the Downtown Mall and the Pavilion was huge. We both knew that this was the PLACE we wanted to move to for retirement - IF we could find a walkable neighborhood, near a grocery store and pharmacy, on the bus lines, and close to both UVa and the Downtown Mall.

We located a realtor and were very fortunate to find one of the last units available in our townhome community on Fifth Street Extended. We have loved it here from the start! Malcolm Gladwell in Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking describes this kind of spur-of-the-moment decision as often better than those made with a lot of forethought, and in this case, I have to agree. "Spirit of Place" probably influences our decisions more than we might realize at the time.

What do you love most about where you live?There are so many things we really enjoy here! Our Saturday morning bus trip to the City Market and Downtown would be high on the list as would our involvement in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UVa and the Senior Center. My two days a week as a JABA FISH volunteer at Jackson-Via Elementary School have given me a new intergenerational "family" to work and play with as well as an impetus to start learning a little Arabic to be more in tune with the Arabic-speaking ESL students I help. Though fairly new at the school, I am catching up with the past as I help teachers and staff remember Jackson-Via in cvillepedia. In addition, my position as webmaster for OLLI at UVa has put me in touch with a community of Web and IT enthusiasts of all ages and makes it possible for me to enjoy workshops and classes both downtown and at UVa so that I can keep up with the latest and greatest in those areas.

We have found everything we wanted in a neighborhood, including the convenience of the Willoughby Square Shopping Center across the street and our two bus routes. We enjoy exploring the unique Fry's Spring neighborhood as we walk to get pizza or ice cream on Fontaine Avenue, but we can also forego the 10-minute bus ride and walk downtown for all that is offered there. The Jefferson School City Center will be a very attractive new addition to our Charlottesville PLACE as will the proposed botanical garden in McIntire Park East and proposed market district. Since CAT expands our neighborhood to include the whole city, I am hoping in the future to see more frequent service that is also available on Sundays and holidays.

I expect my answers will change and my list of things I love will continue to expand as the years go by and my attachment to our wonderful Charlottesville PLACE grows.

Any takeaways from the Placemaking event?I was impressed by the diversity in ages of the attendees and their obvious devotion to helping to make this city the very best that it can be. Overall, the attendees with whom I spoke were very positive! I heard many ideas and very few complaints.

May 29, 2012

Our 2012 annual community conversation took a look at the concept of placemaking and the findings from the Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community project which reveal how attachment to place drives economic vitality – and how understanding those attachments can direct the ways in which a place chooses to change and grow.

This series features reflections from community members who attended the event. We hope their stories will inspire you to define your version of this community’s narrative and use it as a lens through which to view decisions that will impact the character of this community.

Name: Ann Marie Hohenberger Age: 34City/County resident? CityOccupation: Freelance business writer; server at Hamiltons’ downtownHow long have you lived in Charlottesville? 17 years

Why did you come here? I went to UVA as an undergrad. I visited on a spring day and immediately fell in love with the natural beauty here.

What do you love most about where you live?I love “small city” life. I can bike almost anywhere I need to go, but I can still live on a tiny, quiet street with a view of Carter’s Mountain. Every day there’s an incredible variety of events - music, theater, community meetings, clubs & activities - and no matter what I choose, I’ll probably run into someone I know.

My favorite thing about this area is the enthusiasm for local food. As an aspiring urban homesteader, I’m so grateful to talk with farmers at the market and start learning all the things I missed growing up in the suburbs. Then I can go to a restaurant and glean ideas for cooking with pastured meats and seasonal produce.

Any takeaways from the Placemaking event?One statistic that particularly stood out from the Soul of the Community studies was that, on average, 40% of people felt no attachment to their community. That sounds like a massive, widespread failure to serve everyone’s needs, rather than just the needs of certain segments. What a loss for the community to have so many people uninvested in the well-being of their neighbors and neighborhoods.

May 08, 2012

On April 26, Charlottesville Tomorrow held its annual community conversation. This year’s topic was “Placemaking: A Blueprint for our Future.” Over 130 community members turned out to hear Dr. Katherine Loflin present her findings from the Knight Foundation'sSoul of the Community project on how attachment to place drives a community’s economic vitality – and how understanding those attachments can direct the ways in which we as a community choose to change and grow.

If you weren't able to attend, here's a little background: The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup recognized that there had long been a connection between employee satisfaction and business productivity, and they wondered if the same could be applied to communities. So they set out to see if there was any connection between people’s general feelings of satisfaction about where they lived and the overall productivity and economic health of a community.

The resulting study of 26 communities, called the Soul of the Community, ended up drawing clear parallels between what they call “attachment drivers” and the growth of a local economy. Purposefully emphasizing those drivers in community-wide decision making and keeping place central to decisionmaking is what they call placemaking. Download the latest results from the project here.

At Charlottesville Tomorrow, we view ourselves as conveners of a conversation. We want you to get involved and make an informed choice. We think clearly understanding what makes our community special in a way that acts as a context for the decisions we make about how we change and grow is important; to that end, over the next few weeks we'll be bringing you commentary from people who attended the event and want to share their thoughts on Placemaking in this community.

Over 130 community members turned out to hear Dr. Katherine Loflin present her findings from the Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community project